Enjoying the 156th Annual Roll-Call Dinner for Auburn Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 were Erik Croft, Peggy Seitzinger, Kevin Pohley, John Clow and Bryan Gougé. Photo by Rachel Chaddock.

Jim Dobbas (who joined in 1949); Jim Carlisle (1958) and Keith Lukens (1949) are shown relaxing at last Friday’s 156th Annual Roll-Call Dinner for Auburn Hook and Ladder Company No 1. These three long-retired firemen represent the spirit of the many volunteers who protected the City of Auburn from 1852 until the Auburn Fire Department became a paid fire department in the 1990s. Photo by Ken Geil.

The City of Auburn recognized the efforts of the Fire Department, Police Department and Public Works at the City Council meeting on Monday night. Auburn Mayor Keith Nesbitt, at podium, and Councilmember Bridget Powers, left, presented the commendations to, from left, Police Chief Valerie Harris, Public Works Director Jack Warren and Fire Chief Mark D’Ambrogi (who accepted on behalf of their respective departments) for their tireless work “before and after the January 2008 storm to ensure the safety of (Auburn's) citizens.”

Placer County Supervisor Jim Holmes, acting as a representative of the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency, recognized the efforts of City Councilman Bob Snyder with a plaque at Monday’s council meeting. Holmes said Snyder, who served two years on the agency’s advisory board, helped to resolve many transportation challenges in the region.

Theodore Terbolizard, who resides in Cedar Ridge, Nevada County, is a declared Republican candidate for the 4th Congressional District seat from which John Doolittle will retire at the end of 2008.

Dan Luper, left, has taken over as owner of Big O Tires in Downtown Auburn from Dave Mackenroth. Luper is a Placer High grad and has pitched in for various nonprofit endeavors such as the Boys & Girls Club of Auburn and many local events. Sentinel file photo.

Kathy Martinis, left, Placer County’s auditor-controller, accepted a certificate of achievement for excellent financial reporting from Christine Vuletich, South Lake Tahoe’s finance director. Vuletich serves as California representative of the Government Finance Officials’ Association of the U.S. and Canada, the organization that selected the County of Placer for the award for the sixth consecutive year.

Ralph Roper was dressed for the part while filming "Her Blazing Saddle," a video spoof of the Mel Brooks comedy classic, "Blazing Saddles." Scenes for the short video were filmed on the streets of Downtown Auburn on an early Sunday morning in November of last year. The video was shown Saturday, Jan. 12, at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce Installation and Awards dinner. Photo by Don Chaddock.

Scene from the past? Not quite. A group of local notables donned Old West gear and turned out on a chilly November morning to film “Her Blazing Saddle,” a spoof of the Mel Brooks classic “Blazing Saddles.” The video was in honor of Cindy Eklund’s presidency of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce and was shown at the organization’s Installation Dinner last Saturday at the Elks Lodge on Pine Street in Auburn. Seen in the background is Keith Nesbitt, at left, who was selected as Auburn’s mayor in December, and John Downs. Photo by Don Chaddock.